FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 show a conventional connector for flat cables 100 described in Patent Literature 1.
The connector for flat cables 100, with a flat cable 110 such as a FPC or an FFC attached thereto, interlocks with a mating connector 130, to which an electric wire 120 is attached, thereby connecting the flat cable 110 to the electric wire 120.
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the flat cable 110 is formed of a body substrate 112 having a wiring pattern formed at a tip portion, and a connection substrate 114 in which a pattern connected to the wiring pattern of the body substrate 112 is formed and which is connected to the body substrate 112 via anisotropy conductive adhesive. The connection substrate 114 is to be inserted into and attached to the connector for flat cables 100, wherein a fixing hole 115 for positioning to the connector for flat cables 100 extends through a substantially center portion of the connection substrate 114 and a cut-off section 116 is formed on both sides thereof.
As shown in FIG. 3, the connector for flat cables 100 includes a housing 101, and in the housing 101 a substrate inserting section 103 for accommodating the connection substrate 114 is formed. Inside the housing 101, an engaging projection section 105 engaging with the fixing hole 115 of the connection substrate 114 is formed in the upper surface of an inner wall, and also a locking arm 106 engaging with the elastically deformable cut-off section 116 is formed on the both sides of the inner wall. Moreover, a lock section 107 for fixing the mating connector 130 is formed in the housing 101.
As shown in FIG. 2, the mating connector 130 includes a housing 131 inserted into the housing 101 of the connector for flat cables 100, and a terminal fitting 123 of the terminal of the electric wire 120 is inserted into the housing 131. Thus, the electric wire 120 is attached to the mating connector 130. Moreover, a lock projection 137 is formed in the housing 131. A retainer 140 is inserted into the housing 131, thereby guiding the terminal fitting 123 to a predetermined position of the housing 131.
In such a structure, the mating connector 130 is inserted from the tip side of the connector for flat cables 100 and interlocked with the connector for flat cables 100, and thereby the lock projection 137 is engaged with the lock section 107 of the connector for flat cables 100 to interconnect the mating connector 130 and the connector for flat cables 100. Due to this interconnection, the connection substrate 114 and the terminal fitting 123 are electrically conducted and connected.